Internal-combustion engine



Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,591

' J. KEISTER INTERNAL COMBUSTI ON ENGINE Filed Oct. 6, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I INVENTOR /fihu42u Nov. 2 1926.

J. KEISTER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 6, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,591

r J. KEISTER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 6, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 POWER 1!)" 9 J00 COMPRESSION EWHAUST Patented Nov. 2,

UNITED STATES JAMES KEIS'I'ER, 01F STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed October 6, 1922. Serial No. 592,776.

The present invention relates broadly to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to engines of the general type ordinarily referred to as Knight or sleeve motors, although it embodies advantageous features of construction thereover.

At the present time it is customary to construct internal combustion engines according to either one of two general classes. The first class relies upon the use of poppet valves either in the head or with an L-type motor, while the second class utilizes sliding sleeves which function as valves. \Vhile both of these types of motors have desirable features of construction, it is well recognized that there are disadvantages inherently present in either construction. The

noise, wear and large number of parts required for poppet valve motors, together with the comparatively low thermal efiiciency, the compression losses, and carbon formation, are all objectionable. While certain of these objections are obviated by the use of sleeve valves, the accurate machining and the liability of warping presented where one sleeve valve slides within another, are both undesirable.

By the present invention, there is provided an internal combustion engine of four-cycle type having a construction of greatest simplicity, thereby making it desirable both from a manufacturing and from an operating standpoint. Also, the engine design is such that high thermal and compression efficiency, with a minimum of friction, is insured.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown for purposes of illustration only, certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of this invention, as changes may obviously be made in the construction and operation disclosed without departing either from the spirit or scope of my broader claims.

In the drawi.ngs,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through an engine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1, illustrating a slightly modified form of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, partly in elevation and partly broken away, on the line IIIIII of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional View, on an enlarged scale, along the line IV-IV of Figure 3, certain of the parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the oscillating valve;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the operating mechanism for the oscillating valve; and

Figures 7 to 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the engine.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, an engine constructed in accordance with the present invention may comprise a crank case 2 of any usual or well known construction having supported thereon a cylinder 3 which is preferably surrounded by a cooling jacket 4, as is customary in the art. The cylinder may be provided with a'water cooled head 5 carrying an ignition device 6, as will be well understood.

Slidably mounted within the cylinder 3 is an annular valve 7 which is adapted to be reciprocated by a connecting rod 8 pivotally connected to a valve crank shaft 9. The valve crank shaft 9 is operated in timed relation with the operation'of the crank shaft 10 but at half the speed of the crank shaft 10. by any well known form of operating connection 11. A piston 12 slidable within the sleeve 7 is connected in any usual manner with the crank shaft 10.

Formed in one of the cylinder walls 3 is a port 13. while formed in one of the walls of the annular valve 7 is a port 14 adapted to cooperate therewith. These ports are preferably, stantially the same area. It will be apparent that upon operation of the engine, the movement of the sleeve 7 will beeffective for alternately moving the port 14 into and out of registration with the port 13.

In the present construction, the port 13 serves both as an intake port for the combustible mixture and as an exhaust port for the waste gases. Thisfeature is highly desirable, as the heat imparted to the walls of the port b the exhaust gases is taken up by the incoming combustible mixture whereby the same is effectively heated and vaporized. At the same time, as only one opening is provided through the cylinder walls, it will be apparent that high thermal efficiency is insured.

Located exteriorly of the cylinder, and cooperating with the port 13 for permitting although not necessarily, of subthe intake and exhaust of the engine as required, is an oscillating valve 15. This valve may be'of any desired construction, but is preferably constructed as illustrated in-Figures 5 and 6, with circular heads having. oil grooves 16 and an intermediate connecting portion 17. Extending entirely through the heads and the intermediate portion, is an opening 18 adapted to loosely receive a shaft 19. At one end of this shaft is provided a driving dog 20 adapted to be operatively secured to the oscillating valve, as will be pointed out in detail hereafter; while at its other end the shaft is formed witha'crank 21 adapted to be operatively connected with an operating link 22. This link in turn is pivotally connected .to a connecting rod 23 operated by the valve crank shaft 9. This insures oscillation of the valve 15 in timed relation to the operation of the motor.

The valve 15 is operatively mounted in a suitable casing which may be either integrally or separately secured to the cylinder 3, and which is provided with an intake connection 24 and an exhaust connection 25.

InTigure'l, the engine is shown with the parts in the position they will occupy just after the piston passes the upper center on the beginning of the power stroke. This position of the parts corresponds to that diagrammatically indicated in Figure 7. Continued operation of the motor will be eflective'for moving both the piston 12 and the annular valve 7 downwardly, the movement of the annular valve bringing the port 14 therein into registration with the port 13 in the cylinder wall. 10 is rotated through substantially 180", the parts will be in the,relative position illustrated in Figure 8. In this figure, the piston is just starting on the exhaust or scavenging stroke, the exhaust gases being forced outwardly through the port l, the port 13, through the valve casing and into the exhaust passage 25. During this exhaust stroke, the annular valve 7 will remain in communication although it will move downwardly a slight distance and then upwardly so that after of rotation the ports 13 and 14 will still be in registration. concomitantly with this movement of the annular valve 7, the valve 15 will be moved in a counter-clockwise direction to bring the port 13 into communication with the intake passage 24. This position is illustrated in Figure 9. The down stroke of the piston will draw a combustible mixture into the cylinder. During this down stroke, the valve 7 will move upwardly, intercepting communication between the lnterior of the valve 7 and the casin for the valve 15,

whereby on the succeedlng up stroke of the piston the combustible charge may be com pressed, as shown in Figure 10.

After the crank shaft reciprocate within the annular valve.

It will be apparent that by reason of the operation of the annular valve 7, it is never cillating valve to a minimum and enables "3 the construction thereof to be exceedingly light.

This construction eliminates entirely the use of poppet valves and heavy spring pressures with their accompanying operating parts, and also makes it unnecessary to provide two annular or sleeve valves one within the other. This reduces leakage losses While maintaining efiicient lubrication, and therefore increases the thermodynamical efficiency of the engine.

In Figures 2, 3 and 4, there is illustrated a slightly modified form of the present invention, in which parts corresponding to the parts already described are indicated by the same reference characters having a prime aflixed thereto. In this construction, the annular valve 7 is located in the upper portion of the cylinder and surrounding the depending part of the head 5 but not in contact therewith. This valve is provided with a port 14, similar to the port 1 1 in the valve 7, and adapted to cooperate with the port 13' in the cylinder wall.

For operating the valve 7 the head 5 is provided with a vertically extending passageway adapted to receive a reciprocating rod 26 having its lower end secured to a projection 27 on the annular valve. This rod may have a suitable packing 28 at its upper connected to an operating connecting rod 8' W at its lower-end.

The operation of this construction will be apparent from the description already given. Certain advantages arise therefrom, in that it is unnecessary for the piston to This reduces the friction to a minimum while maintaining all of the advantages of a sleeve type motor.

In Figure 3 it will be apparent that the invention is illustrated as embodied in a two-cylinder construction. The number and arrangement of cylinders is obviously immaterial.

The preferred method of securing the head 20 to the body of the valves 15 comprises forming the head with openings 29 adapted to re ceive bolts 30 which are in turn threaded into the intermediate portion 17 of the valve. slight relative movement between the valve and the shaft 19, whereby torsional or binding strains of the valve do not affect the operation of the shaft, or vice versa, thus giving the-valve an opportunity to perform its This construction permits a fuuctions with great smoothness and reliability.

The advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of a simple construction having the fewest possible number of operating parts. It does not depend upon critical fits to prevent leakage losses, but is constructed upon engineering principles providing for ideal temperature adjustof the cylinder, there being a port'through the sleeve valve adapted to be brought into register with the port in the cylinder during the reciprocation of the valve for controlling the admission of the charge to the cylinder and exhaust therefrom, a valve chamher in communication with the cylinder through the port in the cylinder wall, there being an inlet for the charge and an outlet for the exhaust communicating with the valve chamber, an oscillating selector valve in the valve chamber having a portion always located between the inlet and exhaust .ports and a second portion adapted to be moved back and forth across the port in the cylinder to alternately connect said port with the inlet and exhaust ports in the valve cylinder, a crank shaft, a connecting rod between the crank shaft and the piston, a valve shaft, connections between the valve shaft and the sleeve valve for reciprocating the same, a connection between the valve shaft and the oscillating valve for oscillating said valve, and driving connections between the two shafts, substantially as described.

2. A four cycle internal combustion engine having a reciprocating piston, a reciprocating sleeve valve between the piston and the engine cylinder, there being a port through the wall of the cylinder, there being a port through the sleeve valve adapted to be brought into register with the port in the cylinder during thereciprocation of the valve for controlling the admission of the charge to the cylinder and exhaust therefrom, a valve chamber in communication with the cylinder through the port in the cylinder wall, there being an inlet for the charge and an outlet for the exhaust colmnunicating with the valve chamber, an oscillating selector valve in the valve chamber having a portion always located between the inlet and exhaust ports and a second portion adapted to be moved back and forth across the port in the cylinder to alternately connect said port with the inlet and exhaust ports in the valve cylinder, a crank shaft, a connecting rod between the crank shaft and the piston, a valve shaft, connections between the valve shaft and the sleeve valve for reciprocating the same, a connection between the valve shaft and the oscillating valve for oscillating said valve, and driving connections between the two shafts for actuating the valve shaft at one'half the speed of the crank shaft, substantially as described.

3. An internal combustion having a cylinder and a reciprocating piston, a reciprocating sleeve valve between the piston and cylinder, a valve chamber in the side wall of the cylinder, an oscillating valve in said chamber, there being an inlet port and an exhaust port communicating with the valve chamber, there being a through port in the sleeve valve and a port through the wall of the cylinder communicating with the valve chamber, a valve shaft, a crank shaft connected to the piston, driving connections between the crank shaft and the valve shaft, actuating connections between the valve shaft and the sleeve valve to reciprocate the sleeve to bring the port therethrough into and out of register with the port through the wall of the cylinder, and

, connections between the oscillating valve and the valve shaft to move the oscillatin valve back and forth across the port throug the wall of the cylinder to alternately bring said port into communication with the inlet and exhaust ports, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES KEISTER. 

